Question regarding TRM "trade in" for Vidanta purchase

[Maumau84]

Hello!
New to this group - would like advice. My spouse and I purchased a Vidanta/Vida Vacations membership in March, for which they had offered to credit our Wyndham Vacation timeshare value against the purchase price. They said they would use a company, TRM, who would contact us at a later date to sell our Wyndham timeshare. We did sign an Equity value agreement form at the time we signed the contract with Vidanta. TRM contacted us a couple of weeks later and giving us two options of: 1) paying $~1800, they sell our Wyndham and keep the proceeds. Found out later that we still have to pay maintenance fee through end of 2026! (reason given was that Wyndham annual fee for 2026 is billed in Dec 2025 and that's going to be within 150 days of last receipt of closing documents by TRM). 2) pay ~$4500 for them to sell our Wyndham and we keep the proceeds. I called Vida at the time and they said whatever option we choose would not affect our contract with Vidanta.
Now reading through past threads it seems like this is a scam, and that we should choose option #1. My question is, can we just choose to keep (not sell) our Wyndham? We have tons of points left that has been transferred to RCI (good through 2026) - and if we have to pay MF through 2026 anyway we might as well keep it and use/give the weeks away (our Wyndham is already paid in full and MF is not high). Are we liable for the "credit" that Vidanta had given us for the Wyndham at the time of Vidanta purchase? We have been ignoring TRM's calls after telling them we'd like to keep our Wyndham and they told us we still need to pay option 1 anyway (really do NOT like the way they pressure you to make a decision right then and there).
Yesterday we received an email from Vidanta saying:
"When you purchased with Vida Vacations, the trade in of your timeshare was negotiated as part of your agreement.
Our third-party partner, TRM, has informed us that they are having challenges processing the trade in and have asked if we could reach out to you on their behalf.
If you could reply to any of the emails they have sent you or contact them by phone, their agents are ready to assist you. I have shared their contact information below."

So now I'm wondering if we would be liable. We have paid the Vidanta purchas in full, if that matters. What say you experienced owners?
Thank you for reading this far.

 

[tschwa2]

What is your wyndham timeshare (which resort)? Is it in points and is it paid off. Your best option is probably to dispose of the wyndham yourself. Regardless of how much you pay TRM, you cannot rely on them transferring it out of your name.

 

[Maumau84]

What is your wyndham timeshare (which resort)? Is it in points and is it paid off. Your best option is probably to dispose of the wyndham yourself. Regardless of how much you pay TRM, you cannot rely on them transferring it out of your name.

Thank you! Wyndham Ocean Pier - it is paid off, biannual points. We'd actually like to KEEP it - just wanted to make sure we wouldn't be liable for the credit that Vidanta gave us for the Vida membership purchase if we don't deal with/pay TRM.

 

[tschwa2]

Thank you! Wyndham Ocean Pier - it is paid off, biannual points. We'd actually like to KEEP it - just wanted to make sure we wouldn't be liable for the credit that Vidanta gave us for the Vida membership purchase if we don't deal with/pay TRM.

You will not be liable for the credit. You didn't receive any credit. You got the same deal or slightly worse deal than you could have negotiated without the "trade in"

 

[Eric B]

The trade in thing is a longstanding scam for Mexican timeshares. If you just ignore it and block their phone numbers they will eventually stop bothering you. If the agreement you signed was anything like the ones I did years ago there was nothing that would actually obligate you or make you liable for failing to proceed with what is actually a post card company approach - in this current timeshare resale environment I have no doubt you would never actually give up ownership of the Wyndham contract anyway, though they would try to keep asking you for more money.

 

[WorldT]

TRM just wants to collect their $1800. If they do not sell the timeshare what happens? Drumroll.... It is still yours and you are responsible for the MF.

Ignore them and move on.
I got the same spill at Vidanta during my presentation last year. I told them I had no interest in giving up my Vacation Village unit, they said no problem and still come up with some bogus value and deducted it from the offer the gave us on the unit they were trying to sell. It is a sales move to make it look like they are giving you some discount. Then they get TRM to get some unsuspecting people to hand over a couple more thousands.

 

[TUGBrian]

have yet to hear any "trade in" offer that wasnt an absolutely AWFUL deal for the owner at best...and an outright scam at worst.

 

[Maumau84]

Thanks for the responses! We will continue to ignore them!

 

[Jodyv]

Vidanta also gave me credit for my Grandview ownership and the seller failed to sell it. I ended up with two timeshares. Vidanta is a "right to use" membership, which gave me 5 years of stays for 750.00 each. (I don't remember what I paid....but essentially, was a waste...) after about seven years, I just stopped paying. I still haven't stayed at a Vidanta resort again. (Although they are beautiful) I've never heard anything more from them. It's probably one of the dumber things I've done in my life......Good luck to you.

 

[chapjim]

Vidanta also gave me credit for my Grandview ownership and the seller failed to sell it. I ended up with two timeshares. Vidanta is a "right to use" membership, which gave me 5 years of stays for 750.00 each. (I don't remember what I paid....but essentially, was a waste...) after about seven years, I just stopped paying. I still haven't stayed at a Vidanta resort again. (Although they are beautiful) I've never heard anything more from them. It's probably one of the dumber things I've done in my life......Good luck to you.

Like none of us never done nothing dumb.

 

[Eric B]

Like none of us never done nothing dumb.

I’m fairly sure it’s a prerequisite for TUG membership….